Swalwell speaks at social media/disaster hearing

Rep. Eric Swalwell served as the top Democrat at a House Homeland Security subcommittee hearing Tuesday on how the government can use social media and new technologies in disaster relief and recovery.

"Just this past weekend we saw how critical and relevant social media can be in times of crisis following the SFO crash, and it's our job to figure out how the government can best use technology in a disaster situation to respond effectively and efficiently," Swalwell, D-Pleasanton, said in a news release. "We have challenges to overcome, such as verifying information as accurate and making more government data open source, and this hearing was a step to learning best practices so we can take advantage of the opportunities presented by social media when disaster strikes."

Swalwell noted that after the Boston Marathon bombings, a quarter of Americans reportedly looked to Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites for information. He asked expert witnesses Tuesday how the government can accurately verify information gained from social media and integrate social media into disaster recovery plans with limited resources, while respecting individual privacy

The Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications heard today from Shayne Adamski, senior manager of digital engagement at the Federal Emergency Management Agency; Suzanne DeFrancis, chief public affairs officer at the American Red Cross; Albert Ashwood, director of the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management; and Sgt. Greg Kierce, director of the Jersey City Office of Emergency Management & Homeland Security. Swalwell filled in for ranking Democrat Donald Payne, D-N.J., who had joined his Congressional Black Caucus colleagues for a meeting with President Obama.

Read Swalwell's remarks as prepared for delivery, after the jump… Read the rest of this entry »